Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-04


The night was gloomy and the wind
sighed through the pines and whistled in
the chaparral. The tallest branches
whipped across the trail, and seemed to
Buster Bill to be trying to scoop him up
in their dark arms, as he struggled with
the old shotgun he had purloined from
under the Avengers very nose, as she sat
nodding after supper. The gun had be-
longed TO his father, and he wondered, as
il caught i'll the trees and bushes and the
holes in Paddy Noonan's S oyeralls, how he
had ever carried il twhen he was weak and
sick. And he paused and considered why
he had brought il with him tonight. He
had not the slightest intention of using it,
but Wild Bill always carried a gun. Then
the branches made another scoop at il, and
the trail kept getting mixed up with the
rocks. and Buster Bill was fain to throw
up his glory and sit down TO weep. He
had always regretted the distance between
his own residence and Dicks, but he was
sure the trail was bewitched tonight. and
Dicks bag of dust, which he had hidden
so securely in the sack of flour while Bill
threaded a needle to sew up the opening
and made it like new sack would be
stolen. He had heard them say that they
would rip everything open, and they would
be blessed if Keno Dick could hide his
dust from them. They had mentioned in
cidentally that they were going to rob an
other cabin. but that did not concern Bill.
Oh. they were going to rob Dick.
Nobody but reckless Dick Keno would
have left such a haul in the lonely little
cabin, and Bill had shaken his head
doubtfully when Dick laughed and
said 1t was all right now. He shook
il again as he struggled on, and
suddenly discovered that.he had reached
the cabin by nearly dropping the shotgun
into the gulch hard by its door. Buster
Bill had left his breath far back on the
trail but there was no time for it, and he
dug under the rear Of the cabin with a
velocity only acquired by constant practice
in eluding the Avcnger.
A providence unusual in the case of
small boys enabled him TO drag the gun,
barrel foremost, successfully after him.
He felt of the -four bag. The dust was
there on the side next the wall. where a
slight cut would get it out. The sound
of feet outside and few low spoken
words, and the door gave way!
Every ore. on entering dark room,
knows the momentary feeling of irresolu
ton; and it was while the men were
fumbling for their matches and whisper
ing in an awe struck way, that they heard
the low whimpering of grizzly cub. Yes,
it was ulnnistakable and as their knees
began to knock together the grizzly
mother answered as a loving mother
should. But her slumber song awakened
no responsive chord i'll Dicks lone cabin,
and when the mother rubbed against leg,
and a hand reached out ard felt the hairy
body, there was a yell that Jared the flour
In the sack. and the trail smoked with
the flying footsteps of the departing
braves.
And Buster Bill sat in the middle of the
cabin, engulfed in Dicks old bearskln,
and, while his yellow top knot stood up
right from fear, he laughed, and growled,
and whispered, and hugged his gun.
"Bv thunder | hain't sneaked round
the old bears den on Bald Peak Ter
nuthin'r' said Buster Bill.
The next morning. when Keno Dick
rode over the summit. twelve hours ear
lier than he was expected, he looked down
on the camp and beheld scene of surpris-
ing activity.
1t was one hour after sunrise when we
arrived in front Of the Gold Run hotel,
and listened without word to the stu
pendous news.
A couple of Mexicans had robbed Mike
Dorsey's cabin and vamosed. Dicks OWL
cabin had been broken open, but every
thing was In order, except that the beai
skin lay in a heap on the floor; Buster li!l
,y-,S missing and his mother wa, III ENS
terjcs-if he listened he could hear he
| crying on the hill.
Keno Dick listened with the immovabl'